Bleach Drabble Collection
by empty gun
Summary: Collection of small Bleach stories; updated as I find them lurking on my hard drive.
1. Retribution

Tesla had learned an incredible amount from his shadow days as Nnoitra's servant. Mostly, to err on the side of caution in his subordination. When Nnoitra said to finish them off, pull out a sword and cut them down. When Nnoitra said step aside, tread quickly to the sidelines. Do not interfere with a fight.

But Tesla had such a difficult time with the latter task. It was almost painful to watch Nnoitra lose, especially to someone Tesla knew would wound more than Nnoitra's body. Neliel.

Nnoitra had said simply, a few nights after accepting Tesla as his Fraccion, that he wasn't one for teaching anything or any of that "shit". If Tesla got in the way, if Tesla disobeyed Nnoitra, he got what he deserved. Tesla knew he would deserve death, so he was certain Nnoitra would kill him.

Watching now from the dusty corners of the battlefield, Tesla winced, very lightly. Blood ran from the corner of Nnoitra's mouth and Tesla longed to step in and ... at least stop the battle, get killed and save Nnoitra-sama the pain. It was such a comically stupid idea, but he could feel his muscles longing to move, draw his sword.

Neliel was proclaiming the fight over and Nnoitra, from his stooped position on one knee, was glaring daggers, as she sheathed her sword and turned her back. Nnoitra's bloody hand, trembling slightly, reached around his own sword and Tesla could tell he was pushing all of his energy into the final blow. Neliel-sama was far too quick again; as soon as Nnoitra had reached her, her hand had flown to her side.

Tesla was already half there as soon he saw Nnoitra move to pick up his weapon and now moved to block the blow Neliel was throwing his way, causing Neliel to stop inches from Tesla's throat, with a surprised expression. It softened slightly and she sighed, holding the sword aloft at his throat until Tesla dropped his into a cloud in the sand.

"Tesla ..." She shook her head and said no more as she turned and left, leaving Nnoitra panting, spent and angry and Tesla frozen in the surrender position, only moving to swallow, sweat running down his face. He could feel Nnoitra's gaze on his back and turned to look over his shoulder, but was caught by the neck.

"I told you, didn't I," Nnoitra breathed, "that I wasn't into punishing you, wasn't I?"

"Nnoitra-sama would've surely --" Tesla stammered. His dry mouth formed the words "died", but the sound faded from his voice.

"Don't you think I fucking know that?" asked Nnoitra and threw Tesla to the ground. He blinked for a moment, and Tesla could tell he'd said something he clearly did not mean to. His expression righted itself soon as he glared down at Tesla through his one eye. "Count yourself lucky today," and kicked Tesla in the chest.

It was the only injury for which Tesla ever felt like giving thanks.


	2. Beast

Nnoitra was the odd one out, Neliel felt, of Aizen's army. Espada were the leaders, so it was said. But what did Nnoitra do by the way of leading, but the way of being a warrior befitting of his high-ranked position, hand-picked by their lord? He didn't. He stood out like a shaking line from straight ones, stood as a taller weed.

And he relished this position. That he made people squirm. That he belonged here by the sheer amount of lethality he held. It wasn't, in her opinion, because of any sort of refined skills. He was a beast.

If she let him, his feelings brushed those hollow instincts inside her. Reached a creeping hand and stroked her own animal. And she wouldn't let him. She would've be pulled into his swirling realm outfitted with nothing but chaos and blood. She wouldn't allow that.

Too bad he had to be so stubborn, at times so insane. She tried to teach him, in her own way. Put him in his place because sometimes he was dangerous and though he didn't frighten her then, she realized now, holding Gamuza in her hand, his smiling form, #5 on his tongue after 20 years, perhaps she should've taken his animal nature a bit more seriously.

She had said it herself that he was a beast and she forgot what beasts did. This, in many ways, was her own fault.


	3. New World Order

"Do you ever wonder what it's going to be like?"

Szayel arched his back as he stood up, wondering why his brother had to speak to him. He was doing him a favor now, patching up the wounds on his pathetic body. His back was turned as he searched for bandages in a bright white cabinet.

"Meaning what?" said Szayel coldly, as cold as the lab floor that clicked under his heels, as he approached his brother. It wasn't like Il Forte to speak like this, to talk casually, especially in such a tone that almost was like musing. It could've been small-talk or his brother could've been thinking.

"You're always saying it yourself," said Il Forte, lightly, as he watched Szayel clean a wound for the thousandth time. "The world in which only hollows reside. You've said it yourself, brother."

"A world," said Szayel, with a slight smile, "free from all vermin and weakness. And imperfections." He snipped the extra bandage and looked his brother square in the eye. "Meaning, given the criteria, that you probably aren't going to make it."


	4. Girl Fights

When Byakuya was much younger, he had even less composure. It seemed his maturity and poise grew to a great extent as the years went on. A very, very young Byakuya would not recognize the current and vice versa.

Yoruichi could remember when he was much younger, to get anyone to do his bidding that wasn't his superior, he'd kick their shins and if he could reach, pull their hair.

One night she was asked by her own parents to leave for the Kuchiki manor and mind young Byakuya while his went out for the night. Byakuya was in one of his moods and after an hour of whining for something she couldn't recall and constant denial, he grabbed a fistful of her hair to which she retaliated by grabbing his own.

After a second it escalated into a pulling and pushing fight, Yoruichi laughing and Byakuya growling in frustration as she got the better of him. Pinning him down with one hand, Byakuya frowned. "Why didn't you tell me not to hit you?"

"What?"

"You're a girl."

"It's only fair," replied Yoruichi, letting go. "If the girl can hit back better, it's only fair."


	5. Spy

Tesla feels he shouldn't spy. It's not right, it's a violation of ... but he can't help it. He follows Nnoitra everywhere. He follows him places he shouldn't, places Nnoitra doesn't want him to go. He follows him to places Tesla wonders if he should see, like personal moments, when Nnoitra's soul is split open like a vicious wound and instead of blood spilling out, there is thoughts and words and secrets he won't trust to Tesla, but trusts to another.

And on this note, Tesla feels he needs to spy, hidden amongst the pillars, hidden amongst the sands. The white columns swallow him up as he looks through upon a conversation with Nnoitra-sama and Neliel-sama. And for now, like many times, they're calm, and Nnoitra wears his wide smile and Neliel looks as though he's needling her. She only wears that expression around Nnoitra. This expression of not-quite-disdain ... more of a pitying look, and somewhere, when she doesn't catch herself, a flash in her eye and that flash says why she allows Nnoitra to follow her.

And it's a normal conversation they're having and Tesla wonders if Nnoitra will ever look at him with that flash that is protectiveness as Neliel looks at Nnoitra. He wonders if this world he's glimpsing is a circle of power -- Tesla follows Nnoitra follows Neliel -- or if it's private, for the two of them.

He realizes then, if he has to spy, he has his answer. 


	6. Bones

It's a curious world they are thrust into. Bones stuck to bodies, suddenly whole and humanlike. Bloodthirsty, but a with a heart pumping near holes that remind them, no matter what, they are humanlike. They are not human. There was a time they were, but that clock has turned inside out. Time has reversed. They aren't supposed to exist.

There is no time Nnoitra can remember before Neliel. Of course there is a time, but his consuming obsession blackens all thoughts of before from his mind ... he sees the memories as though a dream but doesn't feel them. He doesn't remember his human life, he doesn't want to recall being a hollow and somehow these two factors, not remembering the humanity he keenly and reluctantly feels now when he looks into her eyes and the hollow memories that are still fresh in his mind, contribute to the mix he feels for her. He wants to thrust into the hollow he is, and chop, kill, grow stronger, devour, but somehow here she is, turning everything upside down.

If he remembered a time before Neliel he would remember a lost feeling in a world of blood, of combat, a world of coldness. There she is though, almost like a breathing question. And damn her, these are things he doesn't need.

He doesn't need a hand to hold out and say, "This is what we've become" because he knows and rejects the idea that they're anything more than monsters because he can't grasp the idea that they can be happy.

He'll take the hand and it'll turn to bone, dust to his touch. They aren't supposed to be here. A happy ending doesn't exist.


End file.
